Beet-topping machine.



F. & J. E. NIOKOLAI. BEET TOPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED my 10, 1912.

Patented Mar. 18,- 191 4'SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES Attorney;

F, & J. E. 'NICKOLAI. BBE T TOPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY16,1912.

Patented Man-18, 1913.

4 9111111rs-s'nsnr 2.

Allorneyl F. & J. E. NIOKOLAI. BEET TOPPING MACHINE.

' APPLIGATION FILED MAY 16, 1912. 1,056,708. v Patentgd Mar. 18, 1913. 4 SHEETS-EHEET 3.

WITNESSES I J Ami Elvin! I %%/%k gm; 1

FRANK NICKQLAI AND JULIUS E.,NIGKOLAI, OF DE BEQ'UE, COLORADO.

BEET-TQPPING MACHINE.

. T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK NICKOLAI and. JULIUS E. Nlcitomr, CliZlZGIlS of the United. States residin at De Be( no in the coun of Mesa andState of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Beet-Topping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our resent invention pertains to the topping 0 sugar beets; and it contemplates the provision of an etticient machine of light draft for topping sugar beets in the rows precedent to plowing the beets out of the.

ground so that the same can he expeditiously and easily harvested, and one that is vell adapted to accommodate itself to and "iafiiciently cut beet tops of different sizes as -the same are encountered during the progress of the machine across a field' 0 Other objects and advantageous characteristics of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and form ingpart of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of the machine constituting the best practical embodiment of our invention that we have as yet devised. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.3 isan enlarged detail transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking forward. Fig. 4 is an en larged detail view, partly in elevation and partly in section. taken in the plane indirated by the line -l---4 of Fig. 2,' looking rearward, axul'illustrating he manner of mounting each of the bladei .det-ail longitudii'nil vertical section illustrative of a the gage shoes. Fig. T is a transve'rse section taken in the plane indicated by the line- 7-7 of Fig. 5. Figs. 8 and 9 and 10 are detail views illustrative of the manner ofmounting fragmentary plan showing one of the lovers 30 and the manner of connecting the knifecarrymg bars therew th. v

Similar nmncrals of refer-mice designate Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Kay 1a, 1912. Serial No. 887,688.

a. Fig. 5 is av group of coilpeiiiting elements. 40 Fig. (3 is a detail plan illustrating'a group of '19. The adaptability of the fr Patented Mar. 18, 191athe drawings.

Among otherelements our novel machine comprisesa main frame'that is rectangular in planand has side bars 1 which in side elevation describe obtuse angles with the apices of the an les n permostas' shown in Fig. 2. On its front ar 2 the main frame corresponding parts in' all of the views of is preferably so equipped that either a pole or a pair of thills can be attached'to the same 'inthe discretion of the partyusing the machine. Extending transversely ofthe main frame anddis osed below the upper ar portions of the side ars 1 is a tubular 3 that is fixedly connected tqthe said side bars throu h the medium ofl'jangle irons 4, bolted to tide side bars and the tubular bar. Fixedon and depending from the tubular bar 4 at points adjacent the inner sides'of the side bars 1 archangel-s 5 the lower portions of which are of open form, and journaled in said hangers are upright r'ockshafts 6, equipped with spindles 7 on which are mounted the forward ground 'wheels'8. The construction described constitutes'onr preferred mode of connectin the forward ground wheels 8 with the mam frame... We

would have it understood in this connection;-

however, that the groinid wheels 8 may be our invention withontpyinvolving departure from the scope of the' same as claimed.

Fixed at the inner sides of the forward portions of the frame bars 1 and hearing at 9 on the upper edges of said bars. arehangers 10, and secured in and'extending between'the said hangers 10' is. atransve'rlse from the rear bar 1216f "the. a longitudinal central bar '13 ;a alsofi-xed to and extending rearwardgfromj .ijd bra 12 are braces 14 forytlnr bar gld. The said braces col'ivergc rearwardly andg reizfixedly connected atintcrmediaite points ofQtheir length with the bar. 12} througlithe media of a crossbar 1'5. 'Therear' pi-n'tions of the: bars 14 are-fixedlyconnbctedfwitlig-ja suit able lhoxing 16, and the' sai d boxing Hi"? loosely eccives and is support ertain-the Vet. t-ical stem 17 of-a lior'lraintall frame 18 in which is mounted a ter .wheel ame 18 rod-11. Fixed to and-extendingrearward.-

main frame is wheel 19 to swing lmrizontally contributes in theordinary well known manner to the facility withwhich the machine can be guided. It will be noticed that the bar 13 is ,disposed with its greatest width horizontal I while the braces 14 are arranged with the1r the spring bar 21 carries a drivers seat 23.

-ba with nuts 3-] Fixed on the rear bar 12 of the main frame are two castings each of which comprises a vertically-disposed sleeve 24 and -as'egmental rack 25, and movable vertically through the sleeves24 are rods'26 having enlargements 27 at their lower ends. On the upper portions of the rods 26 are fixedly mounted collars 27 which are connected through rods 28 with vertically-swinging levers 29, equipped with detents for coop eration with the racks 25. The said levers 29 are fulcrumed at 31 on forwardly-extending portions 32 carried by the said castings.

Pivoted to swingivertically on the transverse rod 11 are levers 30. Each of these ,levers is formed of a strap of metal bent upon itself, and in the loops at the rear ends of the levers are arranged the rods 26; the enlargements 27 of the rods being disposed below the levers, whereby when the rods 26 are moved vertically through the medium of v the, hand levers 29 the levers 30 will be swung vertically, and when the levers 2.) are adjustably fixed, the leVcrs -KO will also be adjustably fixed; In this manner the driver of themachine is enabled to secure the topping knives and the gaging slices. hereina't'tcr described,- in and out of their worle ing positions.

interposed between and connected to the lower portions of the hangers 5 and the lrontb'ar 2 of the mainframe. a rebrare 'll.

1. and an'l pivotal'l mounted on hence it will be manifest and held against lateral nioven'uant on the r d ll are erti.rall v-swinging levers 3-2 whichextend above and below the rod as shown. and have tlu--ir,,lo\vrr arms bifurrated. The upper arms of the said levers 32' are ivotally r nnt-ctcd i to =the bifur ated f rward ,cnds of threaded rods l-hand the said ods 33-arc cxtenth-d rca rwardly and loosely through eh A bar 3, and.arc-eip ip 'ied ;in rear. of the said whit form of hand whee r 3 as shown. The said bear against. the rear side ofthe bar 34in the tubular (-ross- 3, and hence it will be manifest that when the nuts are turned in one direction the lower and bifurcated arms of the levers 32 will be swung forward, while when the nuts are turned in the opposite direction said bifurcated arms of the levers 32 will be swung rearward.

Suitably hinged to the lower ends of the levers 32 are vertically-swinging gaging shoes 36, of-which there are, by preference, five to each lever 32. and also connected to the lower ends of the levers 32' are hooks 37 which serve for the connection of rearwardly-extending retractile springs 38 of which there is one to each lever 32'. The said springs 38 pass loosely between the bars comprised in each lever 30 and are connected at their rear ends to hooks 39 on the forward ends of links 40. The links 40 are pivotally connected at 41 to the rear members 42 of auxiliary supports, the forward members 43 of which are pivotally connected at 44- to braces 31 interposed between and connected to the tube 3 and the. rod 11. The rear threaded portions of the members 43 are disposed in interiorly threaded en largements 45 on the forward ends of the members 42. When the members 4 3 are disconnected from the braces 31* they may be turned in the interiorly threaded enlargements 4-5 to increase or diminish the length of the auxiliary supports. It will also be noted here that the braces 31" are each provided with a plurality ofaperturcs so that the forward ends of the members 45) can be connected to the braces 31" at various points in the length of said braces as occasion demands.

Pivoted at- 46 between the bars of the levers 30 are brll'cranks 4-7, the upwardly extending arms of which are pivotally counectcd at the con'n'non points 41 to the links 40 and the rear members 42 of the auxiliary supports. Pivoted to and depending from the lower arm of each bell-crank 47 are links 1-8, each pair of hirh is connected with one group of gage shoes 36. Each group of gage shoes 36 is combined with a pair of links 48, a bell-crank '47, a link 40, an auxiliary support and a tractile spring 38, and

7 that the spring 3 will yieldingiy'hold the group of shoesfiti to its work; also, that the said elements combined and relatively arrangedas described will enable the gaging shoes to automatidi ti'erent sizes.

1 .are preferably in the 5 hixcdly connecterltoaud diverging from the outer sides of the bars of each lever 30 are the shanks 50 of thetopping knife 51 stud or studs ,being disposed above the bolt to prevent tween each group of shoes better understood when it is .1;; complen1entary to said lever. The 3 said shanks 50 also extend rearward and downward from the point of connection, and the adjacent shank through the medium of abolt 52 and one or more studs53; the said 52 and having for their purpose turning of the knife between the shanks.

It will. be observed by reference to the drawings that he gaging shoes 36 are in the form of I? in blades, and the shoes ot each group are l'. ld in proper spaced relation by spacing blocks 60 and a bolt (51. ll; will also be noted from the drawings that the gage shoes 36, the. lovers 5520, and the auxiliary supports (each comprising memhers 42, 43 and 443) all. have a. diffcrcst center of movement, and it is due to this that the bellcranks 47 are enabled to move in such man" ner as to change the size of the space he 36 and the adja- 51,a-nd in that way regulate the amount of top to be cut from each beet encountered and contribute toward the perfect topping of the beets. This will be stated that there is more top to cut from a beet of large size than from a beet of small size, and the large tops extend a greater distance above the ground than the small tops.

cent topping knife 1n the operation of the machine and dur-' ing the progress of the same across a field, a group of gage shoes 36 oves up. on each top encountered or in other words each top encountered by a group of shoesraises the group in proportion to the size of the top. The said raising of the group ofshoes brings about the elevation the adjacent knife 51, but the knife rises slower than the group of shoes, and hence thespace between the group of shoes and the knife is enlarged to an extent ccnnmensurate with the size of the top by which the group of shoes was raised. l mmmliatcljv after the knife is through cutting the top oil a beet the spring 38 complementary to the knife and group of gage shoes mentioned serves to draw the whole cutting apparatus downward, this with a view to restoring the said apparatus to its normal posution before the apparatus reaches the next beet in its path. *Itwill be noticed in this connection that the upward motion of the group of shoes 3% increases the thickness of the cut, and the downwardmovement of said group diminishes the thickness of the cut, and hence the ut made by-the adjacent knife is automatlcajly regulated and made to correspond in sis to the particular top.

When, however, the beets are of a uniform size and the tops are of a common height, the cutting apparatus willmove over the beets in a row and cut the same amount of top from each beet. In other words it is only -when the tops are uneven in size and height that the space between a group of gage shoes 36 and the ad acent knife 1s changed in size.

Moreover if there are any beets positioned" with their tops or crowns slightly below the surface of the ground, then the retractile spring 38 complementary to each cutting apparatus will cause the knife 51 thereof to cut into the ground until the adjacent 'roup of shoes 36 bears on the crown of the beets, and when said shoes have moved along on the crown of a beet until the rear end oithe' shoes or some of them are directly on the top of the beet, the shoes will have attained their full capacity to gage, and hence the knife behind the shoes will cut a thickness of top corresponding to the size of the space between the shoes and the adjacent kl'l1f.,

It will be manifest from the foregoing that by manipulating the levers 29 an adjustably fixing the, same, the two cutting mechanisms may be secured in and out of their working positions, and it will also be manifest that by turning the nuts 35 which are in the form of hand wheels, the tension of the springs 38 can'be nicely regulated and all of the parts comprised in the cutting mechanisms accurately positioned or ad justed; f A

Pivoted at 70,:to the under side of the longitudinal-central frame bar 13 is a horizontallyl'inovable foot lever 71, and fixed to and extending forward from the said lever 71 is a stem 72, lpivotally connected at 73 to' a cross-bar 74. "The said crossbar 74 is piv-. otally corrnectedat its ends to the rear ends of links 7w; which have their forward ends curved olgitwardly and fixed to the rockshafts 6 that carry the spindles on which the forward ground wheels are mounted. By virtue of this construction the'operator or driver is enabled by moving the lever 71 to swing the ground wheels 8 and thereby assist materially in guiding the machine.

vWhile the present embodiment of our invention is a two-4 0w machine, we would have it understood that without involving departure from the scope of our invention the cutting mechanisl'ns described can be multiplied and the machines made to cut or top four or more rows of beets at one time. Vl ewould also have it understood that'n single cutting mechanism constructed in o'ccordance with our invention can be employed without departure from the scope of our claims.

The construction described constitutes the best practical embodiment of our invention of which we are cogniaa-nt. We would have invention as elaimed.

it understood. however. that in the future prartiee of the invention 1!lt'li truetural rhanges or modilit-atioin may he made as do not involve departure from the ope of our llaving lth 'll tt l our irv ntirn. what we rlaim and desire to H'llllt' h lA-tlt'l'S-ltth out, is:

1'. The romhination of tipportlng tut-am. a vertit'alli swinging lever earried therehv. a knife rai'ried h the said lt\'t r. a group of gage shoes.arrangdd in front of. the knife with their rear port ions free to swing vert-ically; said gage r-lltth having a ditferent center of movement from the lever. and yield ng ineam; ('tlltltt't'tttl ith the lever and the shoes amt eon trurted and arrangwl to hring ahout upward movenn nt of the knif" at a lower rate of speed than the shoes when the latter are raised hva heet top over whi -h they are moved.

2. The ronihination of supporting mean a vertit'allv swinging lever. a knife earried thereby. vertit'allv swinging gage shoes ha\ ing their rear ends disposed in front f the Ikmfe: said shoes heing piv ted at their forward ends aml having a different renter of movement from said lever; a hellrank pivoted to the lever and eonnet'ted with the gage shoes. a spring eonnerted with said hell-erank. and auxiliary supporting means eonneeted with the la-ll-t-ranlt and the lirst named supporting means: said auxiliary supporting means heing rigid.

5. The eonihination of a supported main frame. a vertirally s\\-'ingin; lever eonneet ed with the frame. a knife earried Irv-"said lever. vertieall swinging gage int-air; disposed in front of the knife and eonnert d with the frame and having a ditferent renter of movement from the lever. an auxiliary support conneeted withthe main frame. a hell-crankconnected with the said eoltttw'ttu" and the lever and gage means, a link eonneeted with the auxiliary support and hellerank, and a retraetile spring eonner-ted with the said link and the main frame.

4.'The eomhination of a supported main frame. a vert'it'ally swinging lever eonnerted with the frame, a knife earried by said lever, a segmental raek fixed on the frame.

an upright. guide time fixed to the frame. a

lever fulermned on the rame, a rod guided in the tube and eonnerted with the firstnamed lever, a link connecting the rod and the second-named lever, a. vertieally swinging lever mounted on the main frame. vertically swinging gage means pivoted to said lever and disposed in front of the knife and having a different renter of movement from the first-named lever. an auxiliary support connected with the main frame, a bell-crank connected with the said auxiliary support and the first-named lever and gage means,

l t t a link eonmwted with the auxiliary support amt l ell-eranh. a retraetile spring ronnet'ted with the said link and the main frame. a rod eonn'erted with the third named lever and provided with a thread. a upport. on the main frame loosely reeeiving said threaded red. and a nut mounted on said rod and arranged at the opposite side of said supportv with l'tftltllt't to the third-natnedlever.

3. The eonihination of a wheel-sitpported main frame having angular side bars, a tubular cross-liar disposed under the apices of the angular side hars of the frame and fixedly eonnoeted therewith aml having an opening. a threaded rod extending loosely through said opening. a nut mounted on said rod and disposed agaiin-t the rear side of the cross-liar. a hanger e nne ted with the main frame. a vertieallv swinging lever pivotally eonneeted with said hanger. a knife earried by said lever. means eonneeted with said lever and the main frame for adiusting and :nljustahlv fixing the lever, an uprightlever fult-runn-d on the main frame aml having its upper arm eonnerted to said threaded rod, vertirall; swinging gage means pivoted to the lower arm of said lever and dis U posed in front ot the knife. a verti ally swinging auxiliary support pivoted to the frame. a hell-erank,pi\'oted to the lever t hat rarries the knife and also pivoted to the auxiliary support. means eonnecting said hell-wrank and the gage means. a link eonneeted to the hell-erank and the auxiliary support at the point of eonneetion between said hell-erank and auxiliary support. and a retraetile spring eonneeting the said link and the lower arm of the upright lever.

'lhe ((HIllllIltttitll] of a rectangular main fram having side liars that deserihe ohtuse angles and have the apiees of the angles uppermost. a tulmlar erossdiar disposed helow the apiees of the said angles, angle-irons ti vedly eminevting the ide bars of the main frame and said i-ro\ har. ground wheels eonneet'ed with said tulmlar erossdiar. a longitudinal eentral har fixed to and extending rearward from the rear har of the main frame. !etlI' \':ltdl V eonverging hraees lived to the rear bar of the main frame and tix edly (EOIlIItEttttl with said longit'udinal-een tral bar and having their greatest. widths lit) and having aditferent center of movement from the lever, and yielding means connected with the lever and the shoes any] constructed and agranged to assure upward movement of the knifejat a'lower rate of speed than the shoes when the latter are raised by a beet top over which they are moved.

In testinmny whereof we have'l'lereunto set our hands 1n presence: of two snbscrlblng- 10 witnesses. v

FRANK NIGKOLAI.

. I JULIUS E, NICKOLAI. Witnesses:

G. W. ULLERm-K,v F. (l THULLEN. 

